The Green Leaf
by TheShiningDarkness
Summary: What is a leaf meant to Anise?
1. Chapter 1

The Green Leaf

In a forest, the group stopped to camp for the night. Although it was still bright enough to walk, Jade suggested to camp because the monsters would go more berserk. They divided their work. Anise and Luke were to get the wood fire. The others got to set the camp and cooked the food. Anise and Luke separated to ease their search. With that Anise went alone to the forest.

She had got enough wood fire and on the way to the camp. She saw a tree as tall as her. She stopped and put the wood fire to the ground. The leaves' color matched with Ion's hair color. She touched it, and then she smiled, "This tree is just like Ion... Grow to help others..."

Anise then remembered one event at Daath's cathedral. There's a garden far from the entrance. That was one of the gardens in the cathedral. However it was a special one since no one had found it. It was located at the edge of the cathedral where almost no one passed it. Ion found it when he was taking a walk. He heard birds' chirping and searched the source. He was also confused that his surrounding was just walls. Then he noticed a small path between walls and tried to walk through that path.

What he found was a small garden, so small that maybe just one to three people could be there. He found a tree, not too tall and not too short. On top of that, he found a nest with two birds. There were eggs under one bird. The eggs were shaking and hatched one by one. Ion watched them excitedly. For some reasons, the birds weren't afraid of Ion. Ion wanted to play with them but he heard someone was calling him. He was a bit disappointed but he said goodbye to the birds and went outside through the same path. Outside, he met with Anise who was searching for him and went to the meeting room.

On the next day, Ion visited the garden again. Now he brought bread which was given as breakfast with him. He shared half of the bread with the birds. He ate together then played with them. When the bell of the cathedral rang, he went outside. He then went to his room and worked.

Since then, he regularly visited the birds. Every time he did that, Anise always searched for him and every time Anise asked him, he always answered nowhere and asked Anise to accompany him.

One day, Anise was given a bunch of documents, which had to be checked by Fon Master Ion, so she set out to his room in the morning. On the way, she saw a familiar figure with green hair. He stopped for a while, "Is that Ion? ... But he must be in his room... Maybe just my eyes," she said. She started her walk again but slower that before. _Wait! Isn't Ion has gone suddenly for days? _She thought as she walked slower and slower to a stop. She then looked around to find a victim. She found Reiner, God General Dist the Reaper's attendant. She called him and gave the documents to him, "Reiner, please take care of these, I have something urgent to do, thanks," she said then walked quickly to the other direction. In the middle she stopped, turned her head a bit and said, "Oh, and those are Fon Master Ion's documents. Don't you dare lose them!" after saying that, she rushed to follow 'that-maybe-Ion' person.

Fortunately, she could run after him after those thoughts. She hid behind pillars so that she could follow him secretly. That person was really Ion, but where was he going?

Anise followed him until the end of the corridor and saw him went into a path between walls. "Huh? What is Ion doing here?" She could hear birds' chirping from inside. She decided to go on in whatever the risk.

The first time she saw the garden, it amazed her. Then she looked for Ion. Ion was standing in front of a tree and he was feeding the birds. Anise approached him and tapped his shoulder. Ion was shocked and turned his head to see who it was.

"A- Anise what are you doing here?" he asked.

"That should be my line, Master Ion. What are you doing here?"

"I am just feeding the birds I found," Ion replied.

Anise looked behind him and saw the birds. Anise let out a long sigh before speaking, "Is it? These birds can search their food on their own. Why are you feeding them?"

"I can't just let them. They can't go out either," he pointed at the ceiling. It was closed and there were no other entrance.

Anise looked at it and said, "Well, yeah... You're right. Soo~ how long have you been feeding them?"

"Hmm... About a week or so maybe," Ion replied.

"Then... you were gone all this time because you went here to feed them?" Anise said aloud in anger

"I- I'm sorry, Anise. I just can't let them alone."

"Well, at least you should tell me, your Fon Master Guardian, where you are going. You made everyone worry," Anise said then she continued, "Don't worry; this will be our secret, just the two of us."

"Yes!" Ion said happily.

After that, they went together there a few times. But after the journey started, they hadn't known the present condition of those birds.

"Really, that Ion," she said after remembering that event. Now Anise picked the wood fire and when she was about to walk, she heard someone calling, "Anise, where are you?"

Anise heard that and turned her body to see that someone, Tear was behind him. She then took one leaf, putting it to her pocket and started to walk, "Yes, Master Ion. I'm right here."


	2. Chapter 2

The Green Leaf

In the afternoon in Daath's cathedral, a girl was running in the corridor, carrying some documents. She was in rush that she tripped by herself. The documents scattered on the floor.

"Ow ow ow... that hurt," she said. She collected the documents and began to run again to her room. Just a few minutes, she went in to her room and put the documents on the table.

"Huff..." she sighed as she sat down on the chair.

At the time, the world had been saved. Lorelei had been released to the Fon Belt. Now it's time to manage everything that had been messed. Anise had a task to reform the Order of Lorelei. So she worked hard to fulfill her wish.

After she rested for a while, Anise stood up and went to the corridor again. She stopped in the middle and saw through the window to the center garden below. She saw Florian was playing there, making a flower crown. Seeing him, Anise recalled the leaf she took back then. It was still in her pocket but in had turned yellow. For some reasons it brought back memories of Ion's Fonon separation. It was also yellow.

_Ion... _She thought. _At that time you called me you most cherished..._

She remembered more and more until she realized that grieving wouldn't change anything. She had decided to reform the Order for Ion. She hit herself on the head and began to walk again. Now she wanted to get a rest and accompanied Florian down there.

After she arrived on the lowest floor, she went to the garden's direction. She passed the door to the garden and called for Florian. However, no respond came. Anise became confused. She didn't saw Florian anywhere in the garden. Maybe Florian went further to the bushes so Anise searched him there. She also didn't find him there either.

"I just saw him here a few minutes ago from up there... Where does he go?" Anise said.

Anise went in to the corridor again and searched for him. She asked everyone who was passing her. Each of them pointed to further and deeper area. Anise sighed as she ran through the corridor. Finally she was at the edge of the cathedral. No one passed there so she couldn't ask anyone.

Suddenly she heard someone's laughing and birds' chirping. She searched the source and ended up at the path leading to the small garden. The garden that Ion found back then...

Anise went in and found Florian was standing near a tree but it was taller and larger. Florian was looking up when Anise approached him.

"Florian, what are you doing here? I'm looking everywhere for you," Anise said.

Florian turned his body and said, "Oh, it's you, Anise. I'm just looking at the birds." He pointed up and Anise also looked up. There was a nest with birds and the ceiling was broken so the tree could grow up.

"But you were in the center garden minutes ago, right?" Anise asked, still looking up.

"Yes. While I was making a flower crown, I saw two birds flying toward this tree. I want to know where they go so I follow them," Florian replied.

"Okay... but do you know that you have gone all the way here, the edge of the cathedral, from that garden?" Anise asked, now she stared at Florian.

"The edge? What's that?" Florian asked.

"It means we are at the end of a corridor..."

"Oh... I don't know. I just followed the birds as I ran," he smiled.

Anise sighed, confused of what to tell him again. Then the birds flew down to Anise and Florian. They stopped on the branch near them.

_It is like that time, _Anise thought. The birds weren't afraid of humans. Therefore Florian could play with them. After a while, Florian called Anise.

"Oh yeah, Anise. I almost forget," he said excitedly. Florian put on the flower crown he made onto Anise's head.

Anise stared at Florian, "Thank you," she smiled.

After that, the birds flew away, followed by a strong wind. It shook the tree whose leaves fell down.

"Wow, that's a strong one," Anise said.

Florian agreed and said that he suddenly felt hungry. Anise told him that she would cook him her best cook. Florian was very happy and went out from the garden.

Left behind by Florian, Anise sighed and looked around first. She looked down and found leaves scattered everywhere. She took one and said, "Looks like a new 'tree' has been here..."

Anise then took the yellow leaves from her pocket. She held both with her forefingers and thumbs. Another strong wind occurred and blew away both leaves from Anise's hands.

"Ah!" she said in shockness. But then she relaxed her hands and said, "It's okay..."

From outside, Florian called. "Anise, come on," he said happily.

"I'm coming, Florian."


End file.
